


The Five People You Meet In Heaven

by DocDufresne



Category: Red vs Blue
Genre: F/M, Inspired by Novel, M/M, The deaths aren't permanent, death mentions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-14
Updated: 2015-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-26 01:54:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4985497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DocDufresne/pseuds/DocDufresne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off of the novel by Mitch Albom, these are the five people Lavernius Tucker meets in heaven.<br/>*PERMANENT HIATUS*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> if you havent read the story this is based off of, please go read it. its so so good and although this fanfic isnt gonna live up to what the original work was, im gonna try and thats all that matters. for those of you who dont want to read the original book, the summary on Wikipedia says: ¨[This story] follows the life and death of a maintenance man named Eddie. In a heroic attempt to save a little girl from being killed by an amusement park ride that is about to fall, Eddie is killed and sent to heaven, where he encounters five people who significantly impacted him while he was alive.¨  
> just a note that this first chapter isnt really going to be TOO plot-moving, it's just describing all the deaths. dont worry though, some of the dead characters will come back. _some. ___also, just a mention that this is some sort of weird au where different stuff happened. basically everything is the same up until the finale of season 12, then in this au, the reds and blues left chorus and did some stuff on their own. and of course, church and carolina are away doing their own thing alone

Lavernius Tucker could hardly believe it when he outlived most of his friends, his family. He could also hardly believe it when he deserted the last living ones he had left.  
  
One by one, his team, most of his _friends_ , and even Junior expired before death could wrap its cold, harsh grip around him. Months (at some points, nearly a full year) passed between each death, but it was never long enough for the next death to not shock the remaining soldiers.  
  
Instead of his confetti-filled placebo, Caboose somehow got ahold of an actual gun because of Donut carelessly handing out weapons. The young alien child had been scared by something, Tucker never found out what, came running into the room for his father's comfort, and Caboose's triggerfinger got the best of him. The fact that Junior died scared when he needed his father most never went over Tucker's head, it was the reason he couldn't fall asleep most nights after that. Junior's funeral was held the next day, nothing more than a gathering of friends mourning the young one's death, and okay, YEAH, Tucker broke down sobbing not even five minutes in, but what father wouldn't? Even if Junior was different from other kids, Tucker had loved him all the same, perhaps even more because of it.  
  
The next one to go was Grif, surprisingly not by the hand of Sarge. A heartattack in his sleep put him out, just as he would've wanted to go. This only led to Simmons breaking. The shattered man knew not of anything left to do, so only a week and a half later, in the dead silence of the night, he resorted to putting a gun to his head. Poor Caboose was the one who found him.  
  
The bouquet effect occurred then. You know at weddings, when the bride throws the bouquet and whoever catches it is supposed to be the one to get married next? Caboose was the one to find the corpse, therefore Caboose was next in line to die. Death by choking. _Choking._ The fucker was a space marine, and he died by not chewing well enough. Of course, of all people, it would be him. Still, everybody mourned, despite the humor in the demise. When they informed the team back on Chorus of his death, Andersmith was absolutely devastated. Tucker called Kimball again a week later to see if he was okay and found out Andersmith hadn't eaten or slept much since the news. Tucker could relate. He never called the team back on Chorus again.  
  
A tank crushed Sarge's legs, leaving him paralyzed from the waist-down, and he had to be sent on a medic ship back to Earth, where he apparently resumed his life with prothetic legs. No one heard from him again, but were told that he was not to be anywhere near a battlefield again.  
  
Only Tucker, Wash, Donut, and Doc were left standing, minus Lopez. By this point, everyone (aside from Lopez) was changed, matured. Death sure can sober a group of fucktards up. There was still a level of comfort and humor, but it just wasn't quite the same. It felt more and more tense each passing day. Who would be the next to go? Tucker mentally made bets.  
  
Another thing that can sober a guy up is letting the man you're in love with walk into his demise. Quite unfortunately for Tucker, Wash's death was not unlike this metaphor. Wash and Tucker were paired up for a mission, as they always had been, and Wash had gone ahead to check if the area was clear and okay to advance onto. A loud boom paired with a sudden, bright light signalled what Wash had found, and Tucker could still hear the sound ringing in his ears months later. He couldn't bring himself to go ahead to see what had become of Wash's body, couldn't even bring himself to rise from the ducking position he had automatically assumed at the deafening noise, but after that, his limbs felt like lead, weighed down by the realization that oh my actual god, Wash is dead. _Dead._ The man that Tucker had leaned on and become attached to, the man that was a full two heads taller than Tucker and covered in muscles but was also mildly obsessed with cats, the man that always seemed so untouchable, so unable to die, _that_ man was gone. As soon as the aquamarine soldier regained his senses the next day, he turned tail and headed home, feeling the pressure of depression and utter disbelief on his back. Years later, he never forgave himself for just walking away, just leaving Wash's remains behind as if they were nothing. This wasn't some dog shit he didn't want to pick up, these were the last remains of the physical body of David fucking Washington. Wash hadn't been able to have any sort of ceremony because of Tucker's cowardice, but Doc and Donut still took a couple hours of their day to set up some sort of gravemarker, set three bouquets of flowers in front of it, and give eulogies. Tucker didn't attend.  
  
Tucker wasn't the same after that. Zoning out became a habit of his, he distanced himself. No one could equate to what Wash had been to him, so why try to fill this soccerball-sized hole in his heart with golfballs? If anybody said his first name, whether they were aware or not of what the word meant to him, he would reel back his fist and punch them. People got the message quickly. Perhaps not the reason behind it, but they began to understand it was a red flag for him. His commanding officers let him off the hook on days he couldn't pull himself out of bed, which only led to him feeling even more miserable and self-loathing. People out there were risking their lives, doing his work. Those dying people probably had David Washingtons of their own. The guilt consumed him, so he just up and left. He left everybody behind and never came back.  
  
With a need for money and no one left to fight alongside or against, Tucker became a mercenary. Not once in his young life did he expect future him to drop to Felix and Locus' level, but here he was, left with no other choice and not wanting to return to Earth to be a useless, hollow shell of the person he used to be. He'd seen how soldiers acted when they returned home, they were never really the same. Better to be productive by staying out on the battlefield than waste his days laying in bed doing nothing.  
  
Many years passed by, leaving him weaker and more scarred (both mentally and physically) with each passing week, but when he died, lines were only just beginning to form on his face. He died exactly the way younger him never would've wanted him to. In war.  
  
A bullet wound to the foot and another to the thigh made him limp painfully across the battefield towards one of the medics, but limping just wasn't fast enough to escape the bullet that soon followed, piercing through his lungs. His death was slow and agonizing, but he spent the majority of this free time to pray that the Lord would take mercy on his soul and he would end up wherever Junior and Wash are, he prayed that his death wouldn't be for naught and that the war would end soon, he prayed that wherever Donut and Doc ended up was safer and better than how Tucker had ended up. He was about to start praying for the Lord to only take his life and none of his other comrades when the pain was too much for him, filling his mind with white noise as his lungs filled with blood and leaving him to struggle to wheeze in shallow breaths until finally, he stopped. A pressure of hands under his armpits pulling him up was the last thing he felt. No more breathing, no more struggling, no more thinking. His eyes didn't flutter closed, his death wasn't dramatic. Hell, it even went completely unnoticed. He was just dead, and that was the end of that.  
  
But then he was falling. 


	2. Death Is Only The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback: The majority of Red and Blue teams died. Junior from Caboose shooting him, Grif from a heartattack, Simmons from suicide, Caboose from choking, Sarge was taken away because of paralysis and never seen from again, Wash from stepping on a landmine. Tucker left behind Donut and Doc. He eventually became a mercenary and died in war from a bullet to the lung.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey!! i expected this chapter to be done sooner since ive had so much time to work on it but i hit a really bad case of writers block while working on it and didnt know where to go with it, as well as my THRIVING social and academic life (aka me sleeping for the entire weekends instead of writing)  
> sorry for any typos, i havent checked for any mistakes, but i probably will do that before i post chapter 3  
> hope you enjoy

The first thing Tucker noticed was how blank the air surrounding him was. There was no other word to describe it, just...blank. Empty in a way that Tucker had never come to know before. Briefly, very briefly, he hoped he’d never have to know this sort of emptiness, this sort of loneliness ever again.  
  
The second thing he noticed was that all of his pain had washed away, starting at his head and ending at his toes as if there was a drain in the bottom of his feet, until he felt no more pain. In fact, he felt nothing. Nothingness enveloped him. He was nothing.  
  
He’d just died, hadn’t he? If so, then where was he? Where were the clouds and the shiny pearl gates with a bearded, white man waiting for him? Where was the fire and pain and the never-ending tortured screams of other sinners? Where was the empty void that would soon consume them all? _Where the fuck was he?_  
  
Colors began to appear through the plain blankness, first only speckling the air around him gone unnoticed by Tucker in his confusion but they soon grew to coat the air in bright shades of yellow and orange that almost hurt his eyes to look at. The orange calmed down into a stable forest green for a bit, but soon melted into a light, calming turquoise. It transitioned to the brightest shade of pink he had ever seen, then a sudden flare of bright red that seemed to consume Tucker’s being. The color darkened into a dark maroon for a while, but then a sharp white, so clean and crisp that Tucker wondered if this was white truly looked like, rather than that off-brand shit during life. The thought was cut off by that same bright pink appearing again, but this time with a very light (almost unnoticeable) green dusting the edges that soon faded out, and it was all completely pink again. Tucker decided that he much liked this color, even if it was feminine. He admired it until it was suddenly overtaken by many different shades of blue, which ended on a dark navy, nearly a black. The shades of blue filled Tucker with a sort of fear, a fear he didn’t quite understand the origin to.  
  
All of the colors, blue included, mesmerized Tucker, made him stare and gape with all that his soul was currently worth. He didn’t know what to do other than feebly reach a hand out to touch the colors, to feel them and understand them. He wasn’t sure why he was so drawn to them, but they made him want to stay here forever, curl into the fetal position and just let them wash over him, cover him, perhaps never let him out again. He’d like that.  
  
He moved closer to touch the colors, but his body fell through the colors, them all shattering like glass behind him. Before he could even open his mouth to scream, he’s back in Blood Gulch. Everything was as he remembered it to be before everything went to total shit. Even before Church and Tex ¨died.¨ He noted very briefly that his body felt lighter, less exhausted than usual, but turned his focus back onto his environment.  
  
Okay, now Tucker knew this isn’t real. They left Blood Gulch behind a long, long time ago. He grasped at the fuzzy memories of this base. He inhaled, letting the memories in, something he hadn’t done for a long time. Thinking about better times made him want to crawl under a cover for years straight. Thinking about Blood Gulch led to him thinking about Church and Tex, which led to him thinking about Freelancers, which led him thinking about…  
  
¨Well, well, well, look who finally showed up!¨ A familiar voice piped up behind him, where blue base was resting, just where it had always been, where Tucker remembered it to be, ¨Miss me?¨  
  
It couldn’t be.  
  
It wasn’t.  
  
There was no fucking way.  
  
Tucker turned around slowly, and yup, there he was, in all his asshole glory.  
  
Leonard Church. Not Alpha, nor The Director or Epsilon. Church. From before he died and was discovered to be an AI. Church. Tucker’s best friend, still clad in his periwinkle armor. _Church._  
  
¨I’m dead?¨ Swarmed with so many conflicting emotions, Tucker had croaked out the very first thing that came to mind. His voice twisted the end up into a question on its own accord, and he and Church just stared at each other for a long while, neither daring to speak, daring to break the silence that had been building between the two since even before Epsilon and Carolina had ditched the Reds and Blues to go do their own missions, but ever since everyone was convinced Church was dead, but he turned up at blue base as a ghost. Tucker fought the urge to tackle the ghost in front of him.  
  
  
¨No shit, Sherlock, you’re dead, gone, no longer alive, nothing, zilch, nada, your soul left your body,¨ Church suddenly spoke, the usual sarcasm drenching his tone. He waved his hand dismissively, ¨Been there, done that. Any other smart questions before I drop some wisdom on you?¨  
  
Tucker was shocked, nearly appalled. The two had been separated for how long, and _that_ was the first thing he said to Tucker? What the actual fuck? Rather than tackle Church as he had wanted to do just a moment ago, he gaped, mouth forming an o.  
  
¨Listen, you’ve got all the time in the world for this shit, but I don't, I have shit to do, so if you don’t mind, spit it out already,¨ Church stepped forward towards Tucker, who matched it by taking a step back. Church blinked at the hostile movement.  
  
¨Where am I? Who are you? What happened? Why am I here?¨ The questions had refused to come out at first, but once they did, they came out in a rush, a waterfall of words falling from Tucker’s lips. It was a struggle to get out more than two words, but he managed it somehow.  
  
A pause. Then, ¨Tucker. What do you think of when you think of Heaven?¨ Tucker was caught off-guard, both by hearing a voice that hadn’t said in name in a long time say his name and by the question. He fought the urge to answer with the name that was resting on the tip of his tongue.  
  
¨Clouds. God. My innermost desires. Hot babes,¨ His face scrunched up in confusion, not noticing how with each word, it became easier to speak, ¨Why? This isn’t heaven, Blood Gulch was a hellhole. It was boring, everyday was the same, everybody was the same as they always were. Everybody hated each other.¨  
  
¨Yeah, but you still prefer it over Chorus or any of the other planets you’ve been to, right?¨  
  
Tucker thought for a moment. He thought for a few moments.  
  
¨Should there be a big debate on whether blissful ignorance or fucked-up awareness is better? 'Cause back here, we didn't know the shit going on. Out there, we were. And we were _helping._ Or, at least, we thought we were...¨  
  
¨Listen, alright, this might not be your heaven, but it's mine,¨ Church sighed, his eyes zoning out as he looked around, ¨Blood Gulch is one of the only places I remember. What else could my heaven be?¨  
  
¨What? Why am I in _your_ heaven? I want to be in mine. I want to be at peace,¨ Tucker groaned, watching as Church plopped down on the dead grass, letting himself fall on his back. He stared up at the sky, rather than at Tucker, so the aquamarine soldier decided to mimic his action and stare up at the sky as well. The sky looked similar to the colors he had seen before except somewhat dulled down. This time, the colors were pretty consistent instead of changing constantly. Jade green swirling into a yellow. The two laid there for a while, maybe an hour, hour and a half, Tucker wasn't quite sure. Time felt weird.  
  
¨What colors do you see?" Church finally asked, ¨I see some gray, lots of orange.¨  
  
¨Green and yellow,¨ Tucker didn't even bother to ask what they were or what they meant, he could feel in his soul that sometime soon, he would come to learn.  
  
¨Huh," was all Church responded with, a small smile pulling on his lips, ¨So, I guess this is the part where I explain all the shit. Lucky me for being your first person--¨  
  
¨ _First?_ ¨ With a jolt, Tucker sat back up, staring down at the impassive Church.  
  
¨If you'd let me fucking explain, you'd understand,¨ Church sighed, sitting up as well to even his steely stare to Tucker's bewildered one, ¨You're in heaven, even an idiot could've guessed that. Right now? We're in my heaven. You'll be in yours eventually, but first, you have to meet five people that made an impact on your life. Each person will teach you a lesson and help explain your life and probably death as well. Once you get through them, you're gonna have to wait in line for your own pupil or whatever you wanna call them.¨  
  
¨What the fuck? This is stupid, why do I have to learn shit about my life when I'm dead? Why can't I enjoy the rest of eternity in my own heaven?¨ The only response he got for a while was a withering glare sent his way, Tucker could even tell with Church's helmet still on.  
  
¨Heaven isn't just about doing nothing now that you're dead. You have to make sense of what your life was, otherwise what's the point to living?¨ Church sighed, shifting under all his heavy armor. The movement caused Tucker to realize that even with the sun beating down on them, he didn't feel any heat, sweat, or chafing as he used to when the teams lived here.  
  
It took a moment for Church's words to hit Tucker. He stayed silent.  
  
¨So, I guess I should get onto the moral, huh?¨ Church cleared his throat, dropping his gaze to the ground below him, ¨Where do I start? Hmm...Well, I used to think I was a real guy, just like the rest of you. Flesh and blood. Human. Normal. Then, I died, and I was a ghost. Wash came around, I'm actually an AI or an artifact or something, I got deleted, Epsilon replaced me, et cetera, et cetera, you know the story. Well, everyone has a reason to live. A reason to die. I'm here to help you discover yours,¨ Church turned his head up to look at Tucker, who simply just stared back. Even if Tucker knew there were no eyes behind that orange visor, the steely gaze made him turn his head away, unable to look into it too long.  
  
¨Shouldn't I be burning in hell? I left everyone behind. I left the people on Chorus, I left W-Wash, I left Doc and Donut to fend for themselves when they could barely even fend for themselves when we _were_ there, I did the same shit Felix and Locus did,¨ The stutter on Wash's name wasn't lost on Church, but both men decided to ignore it for now. Tucker's fucked-up love life wasn't the biggest problem at hand. Tucker shook his head, ¨I shouldn't be here. I don't _deserve_ to be here,¨  
  
¨You're the only person who hasn't forgiven you for doing what you had to do. Nobody blames you for not being able to see Wash's dead chunks or leaving when you felt the past bearing down on you or finding a job to be able to support yourself. Just because you became a merc does NOT mean you were anywhere near as bad as Felix or Locus,¨ His voice was a loose sigh, carried on a breeze that wasn't there, ¨You need to forgive yourself eventually, Tucker. What if Wash did the same thing? You'd let it go in a heartbeat for him,¨ He pointed out.  
  
Tucker lifted his helmet with one hand, his free hand immediately diving in to run through his dreads. He pretended he couldn't feel Church's waiting stare, just keeping his gaze locked on his feet. Finally, he let out a resignated sigh.  
  
¨Shocked you can be smart for once, Church,¨ One corner of Tucker's lips turned up in a small, hesitant smirk. He was looking for a footing in the conversation, something familiar to latch onto in this sea of bizarrity , ¨Maybe if your aim was as good as your wisdom, you wouldn't be here, huh?¨  
  
¨Ha ha, very funny, smartass, but that's not the reason I'm here,¨ Church rolled his head back and took in a breath, very briefly thinking over the shit left that he had to go over. Reunited? Check. Five levels to Heaven? Check. Forgiveness? Check. Why Church's here? Nope. Why Tucker is here? Nope. ¨I already said this, but I got deleted and you fuckers went and replaced me with Epsilon. So, technically, God somehow counts me as dead. Pretty fucking awesome, right?  
¨First person here was Junior, then Caboose, and Agent Washington even passed by quickly at one point. I didn't spend too much time on him since he's a douchebag, and I don't really like him.¨  
  
¨Junior and Wash were here?¨ Tucker stared, his lips pursed in surprise, ¨You affected their life enough to be one of their five people?¨  
  
¨Uh, yeah, I'm pretty sure I just said that,¨ Church tilted his head from it's position still rolled backwards on his neck, regarding Tucker for a moment before adding, ¨I can't spoil anything about either of them, though, that's something you're gonna have to figure out in due time.¨  
  
¨In due time,¨ Tucker mimicked Church poorly, rolling his eyes, ¨Dude, you sound like my mom.¨  
  
¨Are those all your irrelevant questions? Can I finally fucking move onto the important shit we have to go over? Like, I dunno, your lesson, the only reason you're here right now?¨  
  
All Tucker could do was nod his head once in agreement, speaking was becoming a big too much of a hassle for him. With each word, it felt like his throat was closing up more and more. If he talked any more than he already had without giving his throat a break, he would be clawing at his throat in pain. It felt like he had swallowed fire, but it had gotten caught in his throat.  
  
¨This is gonna come off as extremely fucking backwards and stupid, but it is what it is, okay? I'm gonna tell you the reason you lived. There’s always a purpose for life. You live for a reason the same way that people die for a reason. Where you are today is a combination of all your past actions, decisions, and the way the people around you have affected you.  
¨I obviously haven't been there for the beginning or the end of your life, but I sure as hell was there in the middle, and let me tell you, you did so much. You had a child, raised it well, you fought in wars, you found love and saved him from his own mind, you brought down an asshole duo that has murdered squadrons of men three times your size 'cause they tried to fuck with your friends. Granted, you couldn't have done it without small me, but you still did it nonetheless. That was your whole life's purpose. To protect. To fight for the ones close to you. You're a lover by being a fighter.¨  
  
¨Protecting? Bullshit, I couldn't protect Wash or Junior when they fucking died!¨ Tucker's voice burst out of him like a bullet from a gun.  
  
¨You couldn't do jackshit about what happened to either of them, and you know it,¨ If Tucker's voice was a bullet, then it missed its target completely, and Church's voice was a knife, slicing through Tucker's argument and making the fight seep out of him at the words. He dropped his gaze again, but was immediately whisked away by a nonexistent breeze, Blood Gulch spanned out below him. He wanted to push against the wind, to return to his old friend, to continue talking and goofing around, but he was already gone before he could do anything about it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you couldn't tell, church's 'small self' is epsilon.


	3. Who Else Did You Expect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback: The majority of Red and Blue teams died. Tucker left Donut and Doc. He eventually became a mercenary and died as well. After death, he encountered colors and reunited with Church, who taught him about the five people to meet in heaven and the reason for his life being to protect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoy!! i worked really hard on this chapter

Tucker soon settled back onto solid ground, away from Blood Gulch, away from Church. Or Alpha, as some people would call him. _No_ , Tucker thought. _He always was and always would be Church._ Church was Tucker's friend, Alpha was Tucker's AI. There was a difference, and some people were just too blind to see that. Tucker would forever and always refuse to call Church Alpha.  
  
During which all of this mental pouting occurred, Tucker took the time to glance around at his surroundings. It took a while, but when he finally processed where he was dropped into, he tensed up, face settling into that of a blank expression.  
  
_The crash site._  
  
Only a small group of people he knew would have been in this shithole long enough to use it as their heaven, and he realized that over half of them would definitely NOT pick this place. If anything, they'd pick Blood Gulch (just as Church had) or maybe even Chorus or something. Could a ghost pick the same heaven as a different ghost? Would they share an area together, or would each heaven be separate? Whatever, it didn't matter now, none of that useless shit did, all that mattered to Tucker at the moment was reuniting with his next person.  
  
Tucker rose, taking note of the fact that in his ¨flight,¨ he had somehow been shorn of his armor without him realizing it, leaving him feeling somewhat...vulnerable. He rose cautiously and carefully, as if the whole place would shatter along with the two souls in it if he stood too fast. He stepped forward. Nothing happened. He took another step forward. Then, another, and another, and another until he was walking. His pace picked up and soon he was sprinting all over the place, eyes searching each area that he passed through.

All he wanted at the moment...  
  
All he wanted...  
  
His desire to see Wash was so immense that he didn't even notice how his breathing never grew labored, never hitched, or how his limbs never grew tired. Finally, he slowed down, if only to assess where exactly he was before a small movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention. He spun on his heel, only for brown eyes to meet gray ones. They stared. Just stared, not a word or a sound dropping between the two. After all, it didn't really feel necessary. No words could hold the meaning that either of them would've wanted to get across.  
  
Tucker's thoughts gathered in a storm, swirling and mixing until he couldn't distinguish between any of them, clouding his mind and blurring his vision. The only semi-coherent words that stood out to him in his thoughts were _David Washington,_ the only sight his mind recognizing being that stupid freckled face that had spent so much time in all of Tucker's nightmares, the face that haunted him and caused him to yearn to turn back time. David fucking Washington was right here, standing in front of him again.  
  
Wash didn't look too different from the last time Tucker had seen him. Same scar through his right eyebrow, same freckles splattered across his cheeks and drifting down under the hem of his shirt (where Tucker personally knew there were billions more that would trail down his hip and curl around his thighs before finally beginning to fade out a little at his knee), same loose shirt that hung off his toned frame and was often slept in by both males, same stormy, thoughtful eyes, same messy hair with dark roots peeking through, same tired wrinkles at the corner of his eyes, same permanent dark circles under them (Tucker knew from personal experience that those originated from Wash being thrown awake by his own nightmares).  
  
Tucker didn't know why he was so shocked. After all, Church had been the same as what Tucker had come to associate him with looking like, why wouldn't Wash do that too? The fact that Wash looked identical to the past hit Tucker like a truck, knocking the air out of him and causing him to stare helplessly at the figure in front of him.  
  
¨Welcome to heaven, Tucker,¨ were the first words between the duo, soft and sweet and sounding like a melody to Tucker's ears. The invisible wall of tension shattered and finally allowed for both of them to snap out of the daze they had been in.  
  
Tears welled in Tucker's eyes, he hadn't realized how much he missed just Wash's voice, let alone the rest of his amazing self. He missed everything about Wash, the lines in his face, the sarcastic remarks he'd throw in every once in a while, his attention to details, even his obsession with Tucker pushing himself while training. Tucker didn't mean to sound like a sap, but God, he loved every inch of Wash, flaw or not. He threw himself forward and tugged Wash in for an embrace, long and tight and much too overdue for Tucker's liking, their arms scrabbling to find more, to just absorb the other so they could both finally be safe and together at the same time.  
  
  
They were both sobbing and embracing like little babies, but Tucker couldn't find it in himself to care whatsoever. He was finally with Washington again! He'd waited for so long for this. They could probably stay here together for the rest of time and the rest of space if their hearts so desired it, and Tucker (and his heart) definitely fucking so desired it. He could right the wrong that had bothered him for so long now, he could feel complete.  
  
¨What happened while I was gone? You were safe, right?¨ Wash whispered, his breath tickling the shell of Tucker's ear, but neither dared to pull away. If they pulled away, they might lose each other again, they might never be able to be together again. Neither wanted that.  
  
¨Oh, Wash,¨ Tucker's voice caught in his throat, pausing as his slow tears quickly changed to hot, flowing tears of shame, ¨Dude, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I fucked up so badly. I couldn't go forward, so I went back to the Reds and Blues. They continued dropping like flies until it was just me, Doc, and Donut. I...I left them and became a mercenary. I didn't have any other choice. I'm just as fucked up as Felix and Locus. I'm sorry.¨  
  
Wash's body stiffened at the words before he pulled back enough to stare Tucker directly in the eyes, searching for any signs of lying. After apparently finding what he was looking for, he took in a deep breath, then proceeded to vigorously shake Tucker by the shoulders.  
  
¨What the fuck is wrong with you?!¨ Wash exclaimed, his voice rising slightly in pitch, as Tucker had come to know as Wash's number one sign of frustration, ¨You're not anywhere near as bad as Felix and Locus. You said it yourself, you didn't have another choice. They willingly killed people just for the hell of it. Don't ever compare yourself to those assholes again.¨  
  
Wash's words grounded Tucker enough to help his breathing slow, if only for the fact that it was Wash's voice telling him all this, rather than the actual meaning behind the words. Tucker could bring himself to forgive himself for Junior and Wash's death after his encounter with Church, but the whole 'leaving Doc and Donut to become a mercenary' thing is something that he was sure he would never come to forget.  
  
He had at least regained enough sense by then to just shut his mouth about it and switch the topic as soon possible, quickly wiping away his tears with his palm as the tears began to lighten up and eventually came to a complete stop.  
  
¨Can I--¨ Tucker stopped himself, biting his lower lip, contemplating whether he should continue his sentence or not. He glanced away from Wash for a moment, but Wash's imploring stare locked on Tucker's face continued unwavering, even when Tucker glanced back at him.  
  
¨Can you what, Tucker?¨ Wash's voice was soft but stern, commanding but willing to back off if told to. Oh, god, that was probably what Tucker loved the most about Wash's voice, how it could hold so many emotions and tell so much about Wash's personality. Or maybe what he loved the most about Wash's voice was how he said Tucker's first name. He had never thought he could be so turned on by someone just calling him by his first name, but Wash was really full of discoveries on what was on the 'What Turns Tucker On' list.  
  
¨Is it cool if I make out with you?¨ The lopsided grin Tucker received in response made his heart race and the tips of his ears heat up. The way Wash's eyes crinkled up at the corners when he smiled, the way his laughter was so loud it echoed around the room, Tucker missed all of that too.  
  
Without hesitation, Wash dived in to pepper Tucker's face with kisses, causing laughter to bubble up and out of Tucker. No place was left untouched by his lips. The only noise throughout the crash site being their unstoppable laughter, their joy, their love.   
  
Tucker finally stopped Wash's seemingly-endless kisses by bringing his hands up to Wash's cheeks and pulling him in for a playful, final kiss on the lips, a smile still tugging at his own.  
  
Who knows how long the two spent together? Hours, days, weeks, months? Time is fuckin' weird, especially in Heaven. Though the measure be unknown, Tucker and Wash did cherish all of the time that they had together. They talked, conversations flowing from heavy topics to mindless, stupid ones in a matter of a couple of words. When they weren't flat-out cuddling, they could always be found holding hands or making some sort of physical contact, although, even after all of it that happened after Tucker's arrival, they didn't kiss at all since then. They were brought close multiple times, but never brought themselves to. They had other ways to show their affection towards the other, and they would take advantage of it while they could.  
  
Tucker asked Wash how long he had spent waiting on him. Wash answered with a wise 'I don't know,' and they both continued on with their endless date.  
  
Ah, but all good things must come to an end. No matter whether you're dead or alive, you can only postpone the inevitable for an indefinite amount of time. How heartbroken Tucker was when Wash finally uttered the words, words Tucker wished had graced his ears sooner, just a simple¨I love you,¨ and Tucker was gone before he could say it back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> really proud of this chapter!! im positive that everybody saw me adding wash as one of tuckers people from a mile away, it was kind of obvious lmao. anyways, who do you think the third person will be? fourth? fifth?  
> comments and thoughts are always appreciated, please feel free to comment <3  
> find me on twitter @komminata for short updates on my fanfics, and visit komminata.wordpress.com for long updates!! i tend to post more on wordpress than on twitter, since wordpress isnt blocked on my school's wifi but twitter is

**Author's Note:**

> well? what do you think of it so far? is it good? are there any typos? what do you think will happen? who do you think are tuckers five people? i always appreciate comments and thoughts ♥ i havent _completely_ planned out the future chapters so who knows? maybe your thoughts will be taken in consideration for the future chapters  
>  find me on twitter @komminata for short updates on my fanfics, and visit komminata.wordpress.com for long updates. this fanfic is my only wip at the moment so its probably going to take over both websites for the moment being


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